Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
When it comes to shotguns, I'm promiscuous. I like them all.
I can fondly gaze at hardware store bolt actions just like I do at one of Ivo Fabbri's shotgun equivalents of a Lamborghini.
Kindly words leave my lips when talking about IJ single shots, Savage pumps and even old Crescent family guns.
But, I noted something today at the weekly gathering of the Geezer Squad.
We're old or nigh to it. We like good shotguns, and some of us bring a different gun every week just to keep them exercised.
After our usual rite of Chinese Trap or Mongolian Wobble, we oft try each others guns just because playing with our toys is fun.
And we have learned to share.
Today saw our ranks down to four guys.
I had my B gun, a sporting O/U I am quite fond of.
Hollywood Marine had his Trap grade Model 12. Over 100K rounds through it and going strong.
Bobdog had a Miroku Charles Daley, a SxS of modest mein but excellently made.
And Al chose to bring a Grulla Sidelock, pretty as a speckled pup and lethal as heck.
After a round of Mongolian, I asked to try out Bobdog's Miroku. BTW, if you've ever seen a BSS by Browning, this is very similar. Mild beavertail forend, curved grip and a weight forward feel.
It swung with just enough gravitas to bust the presentations nicely, the targets busting with that center of pattern to center of target finality we all look for.
Then HW had to try out the Grulla. It's a Spanish version of British Best, with a splinter up front and a straight hand grip. Probably worth more than the truck Al carried it to the range in, it had that lithe and agile feel we associate with the term, "Game Gun".
I tried the Grulla too, and suffered through a first class case of the covets. It was more responsive, meaning one has to keep the swing going, but man, what a shotgun!
As we compared notes after, I was struck by a thought.....
The guns we pass around after the usual rounds are almost always SxS shotguns.
There's a couple Parker Reproductions, some of Doug K's Parkers, Al's Model 21s, and so on.
There's other shotguns that show up, including a Woodward O/U and a couple Purdey O/Us, some Perazzis and Blasers. But, the ones that get the attention all seem to be side by sides.
It's not that SxS shotguns are the bee's knees for clays. Steely Eyed Target Sharks go for O/Us and autoloaders. Hal M Hare does shoot a Model 21 when he Captains the USA Skeet team, but he's quite the exception.
Even among us geezers, High Gun often goes to an O/U or a well worn pump.
So why the attraction of the Horizontal Twicepipe?
Darnfino. Maybe it's just fun.
Discuss among yourselves......
I can fondly gaze at hardware store bolt actions just like I do at one of Ivo Fabbri's shotgun equivalents of a Lamborghini.
Kindly words leave my lips when talking about IJ single shots, Savage pumps and even old Crescent family guns.
But, I noted something today at the weekly gathering of the Geezer Squad.
We're old or nigh to it. We like good shotguns, and some of us bring a different gun every week just to keep them exercised.
After our usual rite of Chinese Trap or Mongolian Wobble, we oft try each others guns just because playing with our toys is fun.
And we have learned to share.
Today saw our ranks down to four guys.
I had my B gun, a sporting O/U I am quite fond of.
Hollywood Marine had his Trap grade Model 12. Over 100K rounds through it and going strong.
Bobdog had a Miroku Charles Daley, a SxS of modest mein but excellently made.
And Al chose to bring a Grulla Sidelock, pretty as a speckled pup and lethal as heck.
After a round of Mongolian, I asked to try out Bobdog's Miroku. BTW, if you've ever seen a BSS by Browning, this is very similar. Mild beavertail forend, curved grip and a weight forward feel.
It swung with just enough gravitas to bust the presentations nicely, the targets busting with that center of pattern to center of target finality we all look for.
Then HW had to try out the Grulla. It's a Spanish version of British Best, with a splinter up front and a straight hand grip. Probably worth more than the truck Al carried it to the range in, it had that lithe and agile feel we associate with the term, "Game Gun".
I tried the Grulla too, and suffered through a first class case of the covets. It was more responsive, meaning one has to keep the swing going, but man, what a shotgun!
As we compared notes after, I was struck by a thought.....
The guns we pass around after the usual rounds are almost always SxS shotguns.
There's a couple Parker Reproductions, some of Doug K's Parkers, Al's Model 21s, and so on.
There's other shotguns that show up, including a Woodward O/U and a couple Purdey O/Us, some Perazzis and Blasers. But, the ones that get the attention all seem to be side by sides.
It's not that SxS shotguns are the bee's knees for clays. Steely Eyed Target Sharks go for O/Us and autoloaders. Hal M Hare does shoot a Model 21 when he Captains the USA Skeet team, but he's quite the exception.
Even among us geezers, High Gun often goes to an O/U or a well worn pump.
So why the attraction of the Horizontal Twicepipe?
Darnfino. Maybe it's just fun.
Discuss among yourselves......
